The Perfect Series · Book 42
The Perfect Load
The laundry room works hard and is easy to forget, right up until a hose bursts or a dryer takes three cycles to dry a towel. This is a calm, plain guide for owners and residents to keeping washers, dryers and laundry rooms safe, dry and working well.
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Where to start
- Clothes taking forever to dry?
Read the sample below from Chapter 3 on lint and dryer vents.
- Share a laundry room?
Chapter 7 covers shared room courtesy and safety, and Chapter 5 covers leaks that reach the unit below.
- Own the machines?
Chapter 2 splits the work fairly, and Chapter 9 puts it all on a simple care calendar. Try the laundry check below.
What you get
- The Hardest Working Room in the Home
- Who Does What in the Laundry Room
- Dryers, Lint and Vents
- Washers, Hoses and Balanced Loads
- Water on the Floor and the Unit Below
- Smells, Mildew and Fresh Machines
- Shared Laundry Rooms
- Gas Dryers and Carbon Monoxide
- The Laundry Care Calendar
- Reporting Problems and Keeping a Care Log
Also inside
- A checklist at the end of every chapter
- Worksheet: who does what in the laundry room
- Worksheet: laundry room record
- Worksheet: laundry care calendar
- Worksheet: care log
- Helpful resources on dryer safety and recalls
Chapter 3. Dryers, Lint and Vents
Dryers are one of the most common sources of home fires, and the main reason is lint. Lint is made of tiny fibers that burn easily. It collects on the lint screen, inside the dryer and all along the vent that carries hot air outside.
An everyday example: A resident in Ohio noticed that towels were taking two full cycles to dry, and the laundry room felt warm and humid every time the dryer ran. She mentioned it to the owner in a short text. The owner sent a vent cleaning company the following week. They found the vent hose behind the dryer crushed against the wall and packed with lint, and the outside flap stuck nearly closed. After cleaning the vent and replacing the hose with a sturdier one, towels dried in one cycle again. The resident’s electric bill dropped the next month, and the owner added a yearly vent cleaning to the calendar.
The Lint Screen
Clean the lint screen before or after every load. It takes five seconds. Now and then, wash the screen with warm soapy water and let it dry, since dryer sheets can leave a film that blocks airflow.
The Vent
Signs of a clogged vent include long dry times, clothes that come out hot but damp, a hot dryer cabinet, a burning smell and a vent flap outside that does not open when the dryer runs. Who cleans the dryer vent depends on the lease, and usually it is the owner or a pro.
Bunkly’s field tipGo outside while the dryer is running and find the vent flap. It should open and you should feel warm air coming out. If the flap stays closed or the air is weak, report it.
This is a short sample from The Perfect Load. The full book has all 10 chapters, a checklist for every chapter and the worksheets.
Your laundry check
From the laundry care calendar in Chapter 9. Tick each one as you do it. These are examples; your machines, your home and your lease may add others.
All done. Report anything you noticed, like a bulging hose or a flap that will not open.
Three quick questions
See how much you already know. Each answer comes straight from the book.
Keep the whole book handy
Ten short chapters, a checklist at the end of each one, and four worksheets made to print and keep near the machines.
$4.99
Get the book, $4.99You will finish checkout on our book store page. Your copy downloads as a PDF and an EPUB.
Guides that go with this book
This book shares general educational information and is not legal advice or a substitute for a licensed professional. Repair duties, appliance rules and building codes differ from state to state and city to city. Please check the official rules where your home is, follow the maker’s manual for your machines, and use licensed professionals for electrical, gas, plumbing and venting work.